Make a Fashion Statement with Transparency: An experimental study on the antecedents of consumers’ perceptions of brand transparency
(2019) BUSN39 20191Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Thesis purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of brand transparency and test their impact on the customers’ perception of transparency within the apparel industry. More specifically, the study has two objectives firstly, to identify the antecedents of consumers’ perception of brand transparency, and secondly, to empirically test the identified antecedents and their impact on the perception of brand transparency.
Methodology: This study adopts a 2 (Brand effort: low vs. high) x 2 (Message sidedness: one-sided vs. two-sided) between subjects experimental design. The experiment was conducted as an online questionnaire with a scenario of a product page for a fictitious brand. The final sample consisted of 318... (More) - Thesis purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of brand transparency and test their impact on the customers’ perception of transparency within the apparel industry. More specifically, the study has two objectives firstly, to identify the antecedents of consumers’ perception of brand transparency, and secondly, to empirically test the identified antecedents and their impact on the perception of brand transparency.
Methodology: This study adopts a 2 (Brand effort: low vs. high) x 2 (Message sidedness: one-sided vs. two-sided) between subjects experimental design. The experiment was conducted as an online questionnaire with a scenario of a product page for a fictitious brand. The final sample consisted of 318 respondent, which was mainly analyzed through two-way ANCOVA and moderation analysis.
Results: Both high brand effort and two-sided messages were significant and supported as antecedents of consumers’ perceptions of brand transparency. The results also suggest that brand effort and message sidedness work independently from each other. Although sustainability involvement was rejected as a moderator of the relationship between the identified antecedents and brand transparency.
Conclusion: Based on these results, high brand effort, and two-sided messages are proven as antecedents of consumers’ perception of brand transparency, which work independently. First, brands should use high effort when disclosing information, which should be easy to find and understand. Second, brands should use both positive and negative information to be perceived as transparent instead of only providing positive information. Third, the consumers’ sustainability involvement does not influence their elaboration likelihood of the transparency effort or information provided by the brand.
Originality: This study investigates the antecedents of brand transparency contributing to the literature, which is limited due to previous research foremost focused on the consequences of transparency and not the antecedents. Furthermore, this study is one of few to empirically investigate, not only brand transparency but the antecedents. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8980149
- author
- Gunnarsson, Lovisa LU and Rocha Guerrero, Maria Victoria LU
- supervisor
-
- Burak Tunca LU
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20191
- year
- 2019
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Brand Transparency, Brand Effort, Message Sidedness, Sustainability Involvement, Apparel Industry
- language
- English
- id
- 8980149
- date added to LUP
- 2019-09-25 16:23:39
- date last changed
- 2019-09-25 16:23:39
@misc{8980149,
abstract = {{Thesis purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of brand transparency and test their impact on the customers’ perception of transparency within the apparel industry. More specifically, the study has two objectives firstly, to identify the antecedents of consumers’ perception of brand transparency, and secondly, to empirically test the identified antecedents and their impact on the perception of brand transparency.
Methodology: This study adopts a 2 (Brand effort: low vs. high) x 2 (Message sidedness: one-sided vs. two-sided) between subjects experimental design. The experiment was conducted as an online questionnaire with a scenario of a product page for a fictitious brand. The final sample consisted of 318 respondent, which was mainly analyzed through two-way ANCOVA and moderation analysis.
Results: Both high brand effort and two-sided messages were significant and supported as antecedents of consumers’ perceptions of brand transparency. The results also suggest that brand effort and message sidedness work independently from each other. Although sustainability involvement was rejected as a moderator of the relationship between the identified antecedents and brand transparency.
Conclusion: Based on these results, high brand effort, and two-sided messages are proven as antecedents of consumers’ perception of brand transparency, which work independently. First, brands should use high effort when disclosing information, which should be easy to find and understand. Second, brands should use both positive and negative information to be perceived as transparent instead of only providing positive information. Third, the consumers’ sustainability involvement does not influence their elaboration likelihood of the transparency effort or information provided by the brand.
Originality: This study investigates the antecedents of brand transparency contributing to the literature, which is limited due to previous research foremost focused on the consequences of transparency and not the antecedents. Furthermore, this study is one of few to empirically investigate, not only brand transparency but the antecedents.}},
author = {{Gunnarsson, Lovisa and Rocha Guerrero, Maria Victoria}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Make a Fashion Statement with Transparency: An experimental study on the antecedents of consumers’ perceptions of brand transparency}},
year = {{2019}},
}